Webinar announced for $100M in law enforcement grants from state Violent Crime Intervention Fund. 

Gov. Bill Lee has invited local law enforcement agencies to apply for public safety grants from a $100 million Violent Crime Intervention Fund.  

As a cornerstone of Gov. Lee’s Proven Crime Prevention agenda, the Violent Crime Intervention Fund was included in the state’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget to support local law enforcement’s work to reduce violent crime and strengthen public safety.  

Eligible uses of funding include evidence-based crime intervention models, hiring and training of specialized violent crime units, purchase and application of technology and equipment and law enforcement-led partnerships with community organizations to disrupt and prevent violent crime.  

"As Americans face rising crime nationwide, Tennessee is equipping law enforcement with the tools needed to keep every community safe,” Gov. Lee said. “Unprecedented times call for unprecedented support. I invite all police departments and sheriff’s offices to engage this opportunity so the state can thoughtfully invest these dollars in proven methods that will curb violent crime an strengthen public safety. Every Tennessean deserves to feel safe in their community, and our local law enforcement agencies deserve access to the resources needed to deliver that quality of life."  

Local law enforcement agencies can apply for grant funding through January 2023. Grants will be awarded in a hybrid model via a formula, with additional access to a pool of supplemental funds available to agencies that enter into collaborations or regional partnerships.  

Applicants are strongly encouraged to work with the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service to access training and technical assistance in crafting their VCIF grant applications.   

For more information on the program and how to apply, interested parties can visit this website and attend a webinar scheduled for Nov. 14, 2022 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CST/12-1:30 p.m. EST.